Tag: arboretum

Day 2289

Tuesday January 9th 2024

Dear Journal:

We woke this morning almost as excited as kids on Christmas day, yesterday we went to Mesa for a number of reasons, one was to get this weeks grocery supplies, second was to return Ray’s plastic welding equipment, and third and certainly not the least to meet friends from Ontario. And we even had the bonus of finding a Chinees buffet that was one of the best we have experienced in the States.

This morning our friends Mary & Julie (and Coco) are coming to visit us at the Arboretum, and as if the day wasn’t going to be great enough already, Tom & Kathleen (and Lucy) are going to join us for lunch. We love our American friends that we have met on the road, but to have some Canadian friends make an effort to visit us, well that’s just over the top. Miss Laurie has got everything under control, lunch is planned, the timing of our guests, and the planned route in the Arboretum.

Mary & Julie have decided to spent a few months in the southwest this winter, with family in California and a return visit to a previous hometown a number of years ago. And we are lucky enough to have them spend a few days in the Mesa area which is about 45 minuets from our location, and they have decided to come to the arboretum and see what we keep raving about.

We walked the main trail at the Arboretum before making it back to our coach for lunch with Tom & Kathleen, today we are barbequing burgers with all the fixing. And introducing everyone, even Lucy & Coco seem to make friends or at least tolerate each other, it was a cool day in the desert but it was sunny so sweatshirts were needed when in the Arboretum but optimal on our patio in the sunshine. After a nice visit Tom & Kathleen headed back to Casa Grande and Mary & Julie left for Mesa, we made plans to meet them tomorrow for an adventure to the Queen Creek Olive Mill, a wonderful place that we visit a few times each winter, olive oils and balsamic vinegars as well as having a cafe that serves a number of items that showcase their products.

Blog 503

Day 2285

Friday January 5th 2024

Dear Journal:

Ah our first day of volunteering in 2024, but first is our regular workday routine, a cup of fresh perked coffee with a wee Irish blessing with a little of local and national news. Our usual breakfast on volunteering days is some cold cereal before work. Miss Laurie packs us a sandwich, a fruit cup, and usually some potato chips (one of my nemeses) along with our water bottles. We know it has been a cold winter week in Arizona and the weekend forecast is not looking good which while making our days easy also makes them drag as we are better when busy.

This was my view from the ticket booth this morning, since we last volunteered some of the Arboretum centennial celebration items have been mover into place. This is always a very popular photo opportunity in the Arboretum as it overlooks some of the Arboretum as well as having the Picketpost Mountain in the background and displays Saguaro cactus and Eucalyptus trees. I also have to point out that in true Arboretum fashion it also overlooks the port-a-potties in the background as well, this little oversight is not unusual I’m sorry to say.

As the photo shows it is an overcast day, this is not unusual January and February are winter here in Arizona so cold weather, with rain and the occasional skiff of snow are not unheard of. But the average temperature for Superior Arizona in January is 61ºF (16ºC) / 43ºF (6ºC) with 4 days of rain, that is at 2800 feet of elevation, the Arboretum is located at 2400 feet, so very similar. We do not come to Arizona for hot weather, we come to Arizona in the winter for sunshine, as an example Yuma records over 300 days of sunshine every year and Phoenix is just under the 300 mark and while the days are not hot the sunshine is warm and is our reason for being here.

This is my view on my volunteering days, and Miss Laurie sits four feet to my right, workstation, cashdrawer, ticket printer, mouse, scanner, and credit card machine, and of course my Yeti. You my notice how ergonomic that it is not with the keyboard of my workstation being on my left which make typing a wee bit difficult for a right handed guy, and every transaction requires entering a zip or postal code and often we have to look up members by their name or phone number. The display screen is a touch screen but again designed for a left handed person. Again the whole admission booth was designed by someone that had absolutely no idea what was needed. And the only reason it is as workable as it is, is because we reworked what we could with the counter and orientation. You may also notice there is not a human in sight, and this was taken around ten o’clock, usually one of the busiest times for admission on a Friday.

The only thing worse than being overworked is being underworked, and with today being the best looking day of the weekend, I’m thinking it could be a long three days … jus’saying.

Blog 500